Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Pervez Khattak has ordered a ban on the manufacturing and use of polythene shopping bags in the province, feeling such bags cause choking of sanitation system and environmental degradation. However, the ban will come into effect after two months. In the meantime, all stock of plastic bags will be removed from markets and factories.The environmentalist suggested that a culture of not using plastic bags should be promoted in the province.The provincial local government and rural development department had taken such an initiative around one and a half year ago but it didn’t work.The department had begun the anti-plastic bag campaign in Peshawar’s University Town area, where shopkeepers were asked to avoid use of plastic bags.It had also organised a walk to create public awareness against plastic bags at the University of Peshawar with the help of students.However, the poor interest of the government and transfer of some relevant officials led to the failure of the campaign.A legal expert as well as a government officer concerned said there existed no law in the province under which the use of plastic bags could be banned. They, however, said there
was a federal law banning the use of black plastic bags.An awareness campaign is also to be launched through the media and other available forums to educate the public about the consequences of using this non-biodegradable item, and the sanctions that will be incurred should anyone continue to utilise them beyond the grace period. The use of paper bags will be encouraged instead. A 2004 study estimated that, based on figures available at the time, the number of plastic bags used in Pakistan every year would be an astounding 112 billion by 2015. There is no doubt that the sooner this ubiquitous polluter of our waterways, sewage lines and shoreline is taken out of circulation, the better it will be. Many an attempt has been made in the past to ban them, but to no avail — aside from the federal ban on black plastic bags — largely because of the authorities’ lackadaisical, disorganised approach. Every monsoon season in particular, when choked drainage lines create havoc in urban areas, the imperative need for action on this front is reiterated, and then promptly forgotten. However, enabling a gradual transition for both suppliers and consumers to switch to biodegradable paper bags — as long as they are made from recycled paper — is a sensible and environmentally sound measure that can viably be enforced, if the will to do so is there.
